Container transferring apparatus



Sept. 8, 1953 B. SIMON CONTAINER TRANSFERRING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Filed Jan. 24, 1947 v 2% w W L. B. SIMON CONTAINER TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Sept. 8, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheav 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1947 p 8, 1953 1.. B. SIMON 2,651,425

CONTAINER TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 24, 194 3 Sheets-Shaev 3 [N V EN TOR.

Patented Sept. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,651,425 CONTAINER TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Lewis E. Simon, Flushing, N. Y.

Application January 24, 1947, Serial No. 724,201

11 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for transferring bottles or other containers from a holder to a conveyor, either for washing the bottles or for refilling the same, or for any other desired purpose.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide an improved apparatus for transferring bottles or the like to the conveyor of a washing, filling or other machine.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for transferring bottles or the like from a holder in which the bottles have been collected.

More specifically, the present invention aims to provide an improved apparatus including a holder having a movable base provided with wires or other members so spaced that, in one position they will support a predetermined number of bottles in the holder, and in another position the movable base will enable the bottles previously supported to pass down between the spaced members to another support, either stationary or movable, such as a conveyor.

Still further, the present invention aims to provide an improved apparatus including a holder having a movable base provided with obstructions, such as spaced wires, so spaced that in one position they will support a predetermined number of bottles or the like in the holder, and

in another position the movable base will enable the bottles previously supported to pass down between the spaced wires to another support, and also includes a housing equipped with control and guide means for positioning the holder while the movable base is actuated, for actuating the movable base when the holder approaches the bottom of such housing, and in turn for restoring the movable base into its normal bottle supporting position when removing the holder from the housing. 7

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the present invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of specific embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective partly broken away showing a holder in a housing in position adjacent to a movable support.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental section of a guide for positioning the holder in the housing while discharging bottles.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental section of an electric switch for shutting off the current for the conveyor drive While bottles are being discharged.

Fig. 4 is a plan of one embodiment of the movable base.

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Fig. 5 is a perspective of a holder with the movable base shown in Fig. 4 in normal bottle holding position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of another embodiment of a movable base.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a holder with a movable base, such as shown in Fig. 6 in extended or bottle discharging position.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmental plan partly in section of another embodiment for actuating the movable base.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmental side eleva-' tion partly in section of the embodiment shown in Fig. 9 in the bottle supporting position of the movable base.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmental side elevation partly in section of the embodiment shown in Fig. 10 in the advanced position of the movable base.

In Fig. 1, there is shown a housing I including two sidewalls 2 and 3 terminating, in the present instance, in the inwardly extending short flanges 4 and 5, respectively, at the rear or discharge ends with the space between the flanges 4 and,

5 free and unobstructed to enable the bottles discharged to be transferred from the housing by the conveyor 6 out through the space. formed between the flanges 4 and 5. The rear ends at the side walls 2' and 3 may be securedto one,

another by any suitable means, such for instance asthe U-shaped metal strip I connected at their ends to the outer upper faces of the walls 2 and 3 adjacent their rear ends.

In the present instance, the side Walls 2 and 3 havelegs 8 extending downwardly therefrom,

and four in number, two legs 8 extending down from the side wall 2, and two legs 8 extending down from the side wall 3. At the lower ends of the side walls 2 and 3, and extending forwardly therefrom, are extensions, such as the extension 9 pivotally mounting the shaft [0 of conventional end feed sprockets (not illustrated) for the conveyor 6, composed, as an instance, of transversely extending strips or bars [2.

The front wall I3v has a cam bulge [4, the,

inner face of which forms a cam face for engaging the front ends [5 of a movable base, such as the base 16 and restoring the same in its pivotally mounted, see Fig. 2, on pins, such as the pin 22, journalled in the angle irons 23 connected to the front wall [3. The rear ends of the arms 2| have mounted thereon the roller 24 for engaging the outer face of the front wall 25 of the holder [1 to guide and position it while the base I6 is being actuated relative to the holder I! to clear the bottles collected in the holder II.

On the outer face of the side wall 3, there is preferably provided a bracket 26 to which is connected a switch housing 21 containing a switch operatively connected to the switch arm 28. The switch arm 28 has a roller 29 at its free end extending through the opening 30 into the path of movement of the side wall 3| of the holder [1, the arm 28 being yieldably urged into such position by the spring 32. The arm 28 is operatively connected to the switch in the housing 21 so that when it is in its normal extended position, the full line position shown in Fig. 3, it will close the switch, that is, establish the circuit to the motor, not shown, for advancing the conveyor 6 in the direction of the arrow 33 shown in Fig. 1. In turn, when the arm 28 is deflected into the broken line position shown in Fig. 3, then the switch will be opened to interrupt the current and cause the conveyor 6 to come to rest.

The ends 20 of the arms 21 have projections 34 to engage the front face 35 of the extension 18 when the front wall 25 of the holder i1 is moved downwardly and engages the roller 24 while the edges of the rear wall 35 of the holder l7 engage the flanges 4 and of the side walls 2 and 3.

The feature, however, which constitutes one of the main features of the present invention and to which the mechanism so far described is primarily a supplement, resides in the mechanism now to be described. The movable base has a plurality of members, such as the wires 3'1 in the present instance, see Fig. 4, five in number. These wires are so spaced relative to the size of bottles to be collected in the holder N, that when the base [6 is in normal bottle supporting position, the wires 31 will cooperate with the transversely extending wires 38, see Fig. 5, to obstruct the passage of the bottles down through the holder 11. However, when the base [6 is moved forwardly a predetermined distance where the wires 31 aline with or register with the transversely extending wires 38, then, see Fig. 4, the rows of bottles may be discharged from the holder [7 through the spaces 35, see Fig. 4, between the wires 31.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the removable base 40 there shown differs from the removable base l6 primarily in that in addition to the transversely extending wires 4! which may register with the wires 38 in bottle discharging position, the base 40 is also provided with longitudinally extending wires 42 registering with the longitudinally extending wires 43 of the holder 11.

To facilitate removing the holder l1, the same is preferably provided with hand receiving openings 44 and 45. The opening 44 will, of course, register with the recess 48 in the wall 13 while the space between the flanges 4 and 5 will afford access to the opening 45.

For actuating the movable base It or base 40, when the holder I! is inserted in the housing I, there are provided one or more cams, such as the cam 45, having the cam face 41. The cams 46, when two are used, are preferably connected to the side walls 2 and 3 and extend upwardly with the cam faces 47 facing forwardly to engage one of the transverse wires, such as the front most wire 3'! of the base it, or the front most wire 41 of the base 49. The cams 46 in width approximate the distance a base [5 or 40 must be moved forwardly so that its transverse wires will be brought into registration with the transverse wires 33 of the holder H.

In turn, the holder M, if the base is used, may be assumed to have bottles completely filling the various compartments formed by the wires 38 and 43 with the wires 3'! staggered relative to the wires 38 when the base it is in closed bottle supporting position, when, in turn, the bottles will rest on the wires 31. Thereupon when it is desired to transfer the bottles from the holder if! onto the conveyor 6, it is only necessary to insert the holder l1 and base 5 filled with bottles into the housing I. Initially, the front wall 25 will engage the roller 2% and the rear wall of the holder I? will engage the flanges 4 and 5. Simultaneously the Wall 3! will engage the roller 29 and deflect the arm 28 to shut off the switch to bring the conveyor 6 to rest. Thereupon as one of the wires 31 strikes the cam faces 47 of the cams 4B, the base It will be moved forwardly into the position shown in Fig. l, where the wires 31 will register with the wires 38 and enable the bottles previously supported by the wires 31 to be transferred to the conveyor 6. Thereupon when the holder I7 is withdrawn, the front ends I5 of the base 16 will remain in extruded position until they strike the inner face of the bulge [4 after clearing the tops of the bottles deposited onto the conveyor 5, when the base [5 will be restored or returned to normal bottle supporting position, and the roller 23 will be clear to enable the spring 32 again to extend the roller 29 into the opening and close the switch to establish the current for the drive of the conveyor 6 whereupon the conveyor 6 will be advanced in the direction of the arrow 33 to advance the bottles received, out of the housing I, ready to receive a second supply of bottles.

While any number of ways may be provided for slidably connecting the base [6 or base to the holder ll, merely by way of example, the

. holder IT, in the present instance, is provided with side rails, such as the side rail 43, spaced from the lower edges of the side walls 49 and 3!.

Since the side rails 45, see Figs. 5 and 6, are preferably connected to one another by the bar 50, when ejecting the base [3 or 40, the lower front ends of the side bars 5| of the base is and of the side bars 52 of the base 44 are chamfered or inclined to form cam faces for cooperating with the upper edge of the cross bar 50 to move upwardly and clear the bar 50 into the position of the base 40 in Fig. '7.

Instead of relying on the cams 45 and cam faces of the front ends of the side bars 51 and 52 to eject or advance the base 35 or 40, the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 may be used to advantage.

In this embodiment, the holder ll, having the front wall 25 and partition forming means 38 and 43, has rails similar to the rails 48 illustrated in Fig. 7 for supporting the side bars 5! of the base l6 and also is provided with the front angle iron cross bar 59. This cross bar 50, however, when descending with the holder I T engages the upper ends of heads 53 of the plungers I53 slidably mounted in the sleeves 54 connected to the inner faces of the side walls 2 and 3 of the housing I. The lower ends of the plungers I53 are pivotally connected to the ends of the short arms 55 of the bell cranks 56 journalled at 57 to the inner faces of the side walls 2 and 3, the long arm 58 of each bell crank being connected to one end of a spring 59, the other end of which is connected to a vertically extending side rail 69 fixed to the inner face of one of the side walls 2 and 3, one side rail 60 for each side wall. The front edges of the upper ends of the long arms 58 are positioned to engage one of the transverse wires 31, see Figs. 9 and 10, and as the cross bar 50 engages the plungers I53 to depress the same, they will in turn actuate the bell cranks 56 to cause the arms 58 to engage the wires 31 and at the same time cause the upper edges of the rails 60 toengage the wires 31 and support them to cause the base IE to clear the bar 50 and also move the base [6 forwardly from the position shownin Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 10. g

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a housing having a cam, a, container having devices defining compartments for bottles, and a base laterally slidable in said container and having supports registering with said compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base, said cam engaging said base and actuating it from its first position to its second position when inserting said container into said housing to enable the bottles supported on said supports to be liberated and deposited in said housing.

2. The combination of a housing having a lower cam and an upper cam, a container having devices defining compartments for bottles, a base laterally slidable in said container and having supports registering with said compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base, said lower cam engaging said base when said container and base are being inserted into said housing to actuate said base from its first position to its second position to enable the bottles supported on said supports to be liberated and deposited in said housing, and said upper cam engaging said base when said container and base are being removed from said housing to restore said base to its first position.

3. The combination of a housing having a cam, a container having wires defining compartments for bottles, and a base laterally slidable in said container and having wires registering with said compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base, said cam engaging one of the wires of said base and actuating the base from its first position to its second position when inserting said container into said housing to enable the bottles suported on the wires of said base to be liberated and deposited in said housing.

4. The combination of a housing having a lower cam and an upper cam, a container having wires defining compartments for bottles, a base laterally slidable in said container and having wires registering with said compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base, said lower cam engaging one of the wires of said base when said container and base are being inserted into said housing to actuate said base from its first position to its second position to enable the bottles supported on the wires of said base to be liberated and deposited in said housing, and said upper cam engaging the outer end of said base when said container and base are being removed from said housing to restore said base to its first position.

5. The combination of a housing having a cam, a conveyor forming the fioor of said housing and moving through the lower end of said housing, a container having devices defining compartments for bottles, and a base laterally slidable in said container and having supports registering with sa1d compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base, said cam engaging said base and actuating it from its first position to its second pisition when inserting said container into said housing to enable the bottles supported on said supports to be received by said conveyor.

6. The combination of a housing having a cam, a conveyor forming the floor of said housing and moving through the lower end of said housing, a container having devices defining compartments for bottles, a base laterally slidable in said container and having supports registering with said compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base, said cam engaging said base and actuating it from its first position to its second position when inserting said container into said housing to enable the bottles supported on said supports to be received by said conveyor, and means including an electric switch mounted on said housing and operated by said container when inserted into said housing to bring said conveyor to rest.

'7. The combination of a housing having a lower cam and an upper cam, a container having devices defining compartments for bottles, a base laterally slidable in said container and having supports registering with said compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base, said lower cam engaging said base when said container and base are being inserted into said housing to actuate said base from its first position to its second position to enable the bottles supported on said supports to be liberated and deposited in said housing, and said upper cam engaging said base when said container and base are being removed from said housing to restore said base to its first position, fixed guides at one end of said housing, a movable guide including arms pivotally connected to said housing and having a roller at the free ends thereof to engage said container and cooperate with said fixed guides to position said container in said housing, said movable guide when engaged by said base upon the removal of said container from said housing being deflected to enable said base when extended by said lower cam to be removed with said container.

8. The combination of a housing having a lower cam and an upper cam face, a container having devices defining compartments for bottles, a base laterally slidable in said container and having supports registering with said compartments in bottle supporting position of said base and clearing said compartments in extended position of said base, said lower cam engaging said base when said container and base are being inserted into said housing to actuate said base into an extended position to enable the bottles supported on said supports to be liberated and deposited in said housing, and said upper cam face engaging the extended end of said base when said container and base are being removed from said housing to restore said base to its initial bottle supporting position.

9. The combination of a housing having a lower cam and an upper cam, a container having Wires defining compartments for bottles, a base laterally slidable in said container and having wires registering with said compartments in hottle supporting position of said base and clearing said compartments in extended position of said base, said lower cam extending up into the path of movement of one of the wires of said base and engaging such wire when said container and base are being inserted into said housing to actuate said base from its bottle supporting position to its extended position to enable the bottles supported on the wires of said base to be liberated and deposited in said housing, and said upper cam engaging the extended end of said base when said container and base are being removed from said housing to restore said base to its bottle supporting position.

10. The combination of a housing having a control, a container having devices defining compartments for bottles, and a base laterally slidable in said container and having supports registering with said compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base, said control engaging said base and actuating it from its first position to its second position when inserting said container into said housing to enable the bottles supported on said supports to be liberated and deposited in said housing.

lLThe combination of a housing, a container having devices defining compartments for hottles, side rails and a front rail, a base having side rails slidable on the side rails of said container and across the front rail of said container, said base having supports registering with said compartments in the first position of said base and clearing said compartments in the second position of said base when the side rails of said base cross the front rail of said container, and means for moving said base forwardly across said front rail when said container is lowered into said housing, said means including side rails and bell cranks pivotally connected to said housing and movable to engage the supports in said base to raise said base and advance it relative to said container when it is lowered into said housing, springs connecting said bell cranks to said side rails, and plungers pivotally connected to said bell cranks and engageable by the front rail of said container when said container is lowered into said housing thereby to actuate said bell cranks and in turn to raise and advance said base relative to said container.

LEWIS B. SIMON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,032,182 Brunnert July 9, 1912 1,110,256 Dalgleish Sept. 8, 1914 2,143,518 Kolin Jan. 10, 1939 2,313,355 Mordy Mar. 9, 1943 2,396,770 Brady et a1 Mar. 19, 1946 

